Thursday, Jun 17, 2010
by Meaghan Haugh
Four May graduates from Rider University were recently offered full-time positions with Johnson & Johnson.
Paul Racioppi ’10, will serve as an analyst working on the CVS team in J&J’s customer logistics department. Nicole Addesso ’10, Adam Havas ’10, and Alyssa Vile ’10, were accepted into J&J’s Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP).
Through the leadership development program, Addesso, Havas and Vile will gain experience in consumer products, pharmaceutical and medical devices and diagnostics sectors, by completing two 12-month rotations under the guidance of mentors. They will also participate in six weeks of classroom and e-learning activities. After successful completion of a two-year training program, the three College of Business Administration grads will return to their assigned hiring companies within the global organization.
“During such tough economic conditions, for Johnson & Johnson to offer full-time positions to four of our students is terrific,” said Dr. Steven Lorenzet, associate dean of the College of Business Administration. “It shows how much J&J thinks of Rider and also speaks to the quality of our graduates. These students have done quite well.”
Racioppi, who received a bachelor’s degree with a major in Marketing, has held two co-ops with J&J since January of 2009. As a customer logistics specialist, he held responsibility for the $29 million dollar order cycle of the account Winn Dixie and was a member of the On Time Delivery Task Force. He also worked in Logistics Operations group and the process excellence department.
Havas and Vile, who both received bachelor’s degrees with majors in Finance, also completed co-ops with J&J. Havas worked in J&J’s Finance Processes and Systems group, and the company’s SAP implementation team. Vile worked in J&J’s Finance-Sales Analytics Department where she ran and distributed detailed sales reports as well as several other financial reporting responsibilities for the company. Currently, she works as an analyst in the Operational Expenses Finance department.
Meanwhile, Addesso, who received a bachelor degree with a major in Accounting, had the chance to network with J&J recruiter David Fortunati ’90 when she participated in the Johnson & Johnson Business Case Competition last year. Through that connection she was offered to interview for the Financial Leadership Development Program at Cordis Corporation.
During the J&J Business Case Competition, student teams are given four weeks to analyze a case study of three products and make recommendations to J&J representatives. Last year, Rider, winning third place, competed against Bucknell University, Florida International University, University of Florida, University of Illinois, LaSalle University, Penn State University, Rutgers University (New Brunswick/Newark), Seton Hall University and Villanova University.
Many Rider alumni are currently employed by Johnson & Johnson, working in areas ranging from health care and consumer products to finance and medical diagnostics. Between spring 2007 and fall 2008, 35 Rider students completed co-ops at J&J. In spring 2010, 15 students were placed into co-ops. Many of these students have received full-time positions with the company. Currently, eight students have been placed in co-ops for fall 2010.
Anne Mandel, associate director of Career Services at Rider, said J&J recruits from eight other universities and colleges, including Penn State, The College of New Jersey and Rutgers.
“Students from Rider are strong performers at J&J in comparison to other universities they recruit from. That is why J&J has focused its energy here,” Mandel said. “Giving that J&J has been trimming down their existing and new hires, I am very excited that three Rider graduating students have been hired into the FLDP.”